


How (Not) To Take Care Of Your Junhui

by jolielaide



Category: SEVENTEEN (Band)
Genre: Canon Compliant, M/M, Non-Linear Narrative, World Travel
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-14
Updated: 2019-06-14
Packaged: 2020-04-23 20:53:48
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,481
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19158790
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/jolielaide/pseuds/jolielaide
Summary: "Or you're just a Gemini."Junhui grins, "Or I'm just a Gemini."





	How (Not) To Take Care Of Your Junhui

**Author's Note:**

> HAPPY HOSHI DAY! i decided it is better to have an on time hoshi birthday fic than a late jun one and compromise is a beautiful thing

**_STEP 1: FEED HIM - HONG KONG, CHINA_ **

Junhui dips into the convenience store laughing, the bell chiming after him. His jacket is raised up over his head to protect his hair from the rain even though it does nothing to save his body. Soonyoung follows suit, shivering too hard to laugh with him but smiling so hard it feels like the skin on his face might tear.

“We're so wet,” Soonyoung whines, “they might not even let us in.”

“Watch this,” Junhui says, then wraps one arm around Soonyoung and walks brazenly into the store, water pooling at his feet at every step. The sole cashier frowns disapprovingly as he grabs a basket but Junhui shoots her a smile so dazzling it blinds Soonyoung just from standing next to him. She returns to the register, dazed.

“Wow,” Soonyoung says, blinking fast. “How’d you do that.”

“It’s the Moon Joon charm!” Junhui beams, framing his chin with his thumb and index finger.

“Yeah okay,” Soonyoung snorts, stealing the shopping basket away from Junhui. Soonyoung has lost yet another bet to Jeonghan, an event that has been happening too often for it to be a coincidence, and now he's condemned to snack shopping for the rest of the group. But he'd stolen Seungcheol's debit card just before they'd left though so the joke's on _them_.

 _"Or maybe it's just plain bad luck,"_ Junhui had said unhelpfully as Soonyoung grouched on the mad dash to the store in the rain.

Like Junhui would know anything about bad luck.

Junhui selects a 2-liter bottle of Cola, looks at Soonyoung meaningfully, and then slowly puts it back down.

“You really didn’t have to come.”

Junhui picks up a bag of pretzels and drops it into the shopping basket Soonyoung has on his arm. “I wanted to. I like hanging out with you the most.”

Soonyoung fishes the pretzels out and pushes it back into Junhui’s chest. “Sweet talker.”

“ _Noooo._ ” His whine mixes with a laugh as he chases Soonyoung down the aisle. Soonyoung walks a little slower. “Don’t go. I mean it.”

Junhui wraps his arms around Soonyoung and he smiles. Twisting around to face Junhui’s pout was a mistake. His knees go weak and Soonyoung has this sudden urge to poke the soft pink of his bottom lip. He can do this. He’s a man. “Do you though?”

Fuck. His voice cracks, and he sounds like they all did three years ago.

“Of course I do.”

“I don’t know, Junnie.” Soonyoung sighs, pretending to be able to read the Chinese characters on a bottle of… dish soap? “It’s hard to talk to you. It’s like Junhui and Jun aren’t two different people anymore.”

It’s… a persona like staring at the sun. At first Soonyoung thought it was just the thrill of being so near home, the prospect of being able to see family again. But it stuck with him – on stage, in the darkness of their hotel room, or a convenience store at ten pm.

“Isn’t that good though? It means I’m becoming a better actor.”

“Or you’re just a Gemini.”

Junhui grins. “Or I’m just a Gemini.”

****

**_STEP 2: TAKE HIM FOR WALKS - NYC, AMERICA_ **

America is a lot harder to navigate.

Between the two of them, they can manage a heavily accented a _Hello, I am [insert name here] of K-pop group SEVENTEEN._

Vernon, Joshua and Seungkwan become precious assets. Next door, Soonyoung can hear Jeonghan and Minghao arguing loudly over Joshua. Seokmin won Seungkwan from Mingyu earlier and stole him away with Chan and Vernon is in bed sick.

Which leaves the two of them under indefinite house arrest.

Junhui stands up, puts on his jacket, remembers where he is and flops back onto the bed sadly.

"I want to go for a walk." He groans, feet kicking wildly. Soonyoung watches the TV dazedly, trying to predict the color the logo turns when it hits the side of screen. There's an algorithm. Somewhere.

"Then you should go," he blanks. Thinks, red.

"But _you_ don't want to." The logo turns blue.

Soonyoung rolls onto his side. "We'll get lost."

Junhui stands back up, already heading towards the door. When he turns around and looks at Soonyoung, he has no choice but to follow.

Right?

He toes on his shoes and throws on a hoodie from his open suitcase. He pulls a face mask over his mouth and hands another to Junhui. He scowls at it, but accepts it nevertheless.

There used to be a time Soonyoung could have ran laps around Dispatch headquarters shirtless and not even warrant a second glance. There's a feeling that comes with the thought, deep in the pit of his stomach. Regret? Nostalgia?

Sneaking out proves easy until they get outside.

"Hyung!" Vernon cries. His pink beanie is pulled so low on his face Soonyoung wonders how he even recognized him. "What are you doing here?"

"What are _you_ doing here? You're supposed to be sick," he counters, desperately trying to divert the conversation. Thank god Vernon is easily distracted.

"Ah..." Vernon says. Then stares fixedly at a point just over Soonyoung's shoulder. "I'm... buying... ice cream."

Junhui laughs. "You're a bad liar. If you wanted to leave, just say so. Any of the other members would gladly take you."

"Yeah," Soonyoung adds. "Myeongho is on the verge of siccing Mingyu on Jeonghan because you're not available."

Vernon winces, drawing his beanie down over his eyes in embarrassment. "I know.... but they all want me to translate everything. They don't _really_ want me around." He answers, retreating into his beanie even further. Sometimes, with how competent he is, Soonyoung forgets Vernon's still a kid. "I want to explore."

Junhui pulls the beanie away from his face, settles it further back on his head affectionately. Vernon pouts.

"I'm going to get a tan," Junhui announces proudly. It's stupid, but it explains the sleeveless shirt in March.

"I'm just following him." Soonyoung says

"I'll come with you! If you want." Vernon replies, shy again.

Soonyoung squints, ruffles his hand through Vernon's fluffy bangs, soft to the touch. "Didn't you say you didn't want to spend our off day with us old geezers?"

"I didn't say _that,_ " Vernon whines, now fiddling with the drawstrings on his hoodie. He leans into Soonyoung's hand. "Besides, you guys are cool."

"And nobody else is?"

Vernon grins. "No."

"Oh you. You know how to talk," Soonyoung says. "Come on. I'll get you that ice cream you wanted."

"Ah, hyung, I wasn't really..."

Vernon finds the ice cream stand first. Soonyoung and Junhui just stand there and block sidewalk traffic.

He walks up to it but Soonyoung places a hand across Vernon’s chest, blocking him off. “Let me pay.” Then proceeds to make a fool of himself in front of everyone on the sidewalk.

He comes away successful, but still speed walks to put as much distance as he can between him and the vendor. Vernon laughs—laughs!—scurrying to keep up with Soonyoung. Junhui seems to be walking normally, every one of his strides matching up with Soonyoung's frantic pace perfectly.

“You're so weird, hyung. You never let me pay,” Vernon says when the finally stop walking, punctuatinges it with an over exaggerated frown.

Soonyoung huffs, nibbles at his popsicle just to give his mouth something to do. It doesn't taste as sweet with embarrassment hanging over him like a dark cloud. Vernon doesn't catch up on the fact that he doesn't really want to respond and just—stands there. Wide eyed and waiting like an idiot or something. He shifts clumsily from foot to foot. “I like doing stuff like that, I guess. Taking care of you guys.”

Junhui leans against a wall, nodding sagely. “It's your love language.”

“His what?”

“Love language,” Junhui repeats. “Like, they're ways people show love for others. There's five types: acts of service, gift giving, touch, quality time and words of affirmation.” He counts them off on his fingers. “Soonyoungie enjoys doing things for people, so his is acts of service.”

“Does everyone have one?” Vernon asks.

“Most people have more than one actually. So unless you're Jihoon, then, yeah, probably.”

Vernon laughs around his popsicle. He's eating it out of the side of his mouth where his teeth are least sensitive. It's kind of fascinating. “What about you? What's your love language?”

“Quality time. I make time and space for the people I care about.”

Soonyoung remembers Junhui pacing the dorms with his hand cupped around his phone speaker, on late night calls with his mother not an hour after he'd just returned, planning his next visit, insisting on running the most mundane errands with Soonyoung because _I like hanging out with you the most_.

“You sure know a lot about this.” Vernon smiles at him.

“I get around,” Junhui murmurs, his face growing tight trying to hide a pleased smile.

They lapse into silence as Vernon scarfs down his treat. Still out of the side of his mouth, Junhui is still leisurely sucking on his and Soonyoung takes the longest because he eats them like _a normal person._

"Hey hyung. Look behind you."

Soonyoung turns to the wall Vernon is pointing at. It's covered in graffiti but there's an especially big bold one in yellow that draws his eye. He stares at it blankly before turning back to Vernon.

"I don't know what that says."

"Rebellion, revolution… rats," Vernon translates, then bursts out laughing. "They all start with the same letter in English. I guess the artist couldn't come up with another word that starts with R."

It's kind of endearing, the way Vernon calls someone who couldn't figure out three words that start with 'r' an artist with awe in his eyes.

Soonyoung pulls out his phone and herds them to the wall to snap a picture with just the tops of their heads and the ridiculous slogan in the frame. He laughs before sending it to the group chat.

[image attached]

\- haha

\- what does that say

\- Rats.

\- VERNON????

Soonyoung closes his phone quickly.

"What's wrong?" Junhui asks, sticking his popsicle in his face, the juice stainings his lips red. Vernon is a few steps ahead on the sidewalk, trying to ask a vendor for directions. Soonyoung pushes him aside with one hand.

"Jeonghan knows Vernon isn't sick now, he's gonna be upset."

"So? Let him be upset," Junhui says, benign.

Soonyoung tries to hide his smile in his treat. "I'll tell him you said that."

Junhui narrows his eyes. He wraps his lips around the popsicle and straight up sucks the red flavoring out of it like a vampire, leaving just ice behind. Then bites it.

"Does no one eat popsicles normally anymore?"

"What are you going to do about Jeonghan?" Junhui ignores him.

"Nothing, I guess." He can feel the ceaseless vibration coming from his back pocket, moving so fast he fears, just for a moment, the friction might set his jeans on fire.

"Huh." Junhui bites off another piece of ice and speaks through it. "If you pray hard enough, your problems might disappear. Maybe Jeonghan will too if you try..."

"And what's the science behind that."

"My mama told me so," he says firmly, with all the confidence of a scholar.

****

**_STEP 3: PAY ATTENTION TO HIM - MANILA, PHILIPPINES_ **

Soonyoung comes out of the shower flushed pink and humming. He wraps a towel around his waist before poking his head back into the hotel room.

Junhui is on him immediately, pushing him back into the bathroom, crowding him against the sink.

"Jun!"

"That's my name," he replies, pushing his head against Soonyoung's. His smile reflected in the mirror, doubled back and just as disarming. Soonyoung lets himself lean back a little.

"You stink. Go take your shower," he snarks, cupping Junhui's face in one hand. He pats it condescendingly.

Junhui just plants his cold palms flat on Soonyoung's bare stomach. Soonyoung yelps, moving further into Junhui in order to avoid the touch. Junhui smirks. "You're a… menace."

Junhui dips his head, hums dangerously into the soft skin on his shoulder. "Your menace."

"You're not my anything until you go wash up."

"You said you liked me. You said we'd talk." He presses a kiss there. "You're so _soft_ here." His voice is shot with amazement. He gapes at Soonyoung over his shoulder. He squirms in embarrassment.

"I didn't say anything, go take your shower."

"I think I'd like a little company."

Soonyoung screams in laughter, shoving at Junhui's shoulder. Blood flushes his entire body red, like a lobster. Junhui's smile just doubles, triples, in radiance. Looking down at Soonyoung like he's the best thing he's seen in years.

"I like you too. You take care of me."

Soonyoung scrunches his face up. "You're older than me, isn't that weird? What if I started calling you hyung?"

"Now that's weird. Don't do that."

Soonyoung giggles. Junhui laughs too, muted, the sound of it muffled into his neck.

****

**_STEP 4: FALL IN LOVE WITH HIM - (?????)_ **

There's a video of them somewhere, young and freshly debuted. Still awkward around a camera, not knowing where to put their hands.

Seokmin starts it with Soonyoung, going around with a camera and asking them the same question: _Is there a Seventeen member you like these days?_

Chan looks straight at the camera and says he hates everyone here.

Vernon doesn't look up from his phone once. He's playing Piano Tiles on the 6×6 frame and says _Seokminnie-hyung is the nicest guy I know._

Soonyoung swivels the camera to Seokmin, laughing. Seokmin blushes and squeaks out a thanks.

It cuts quickly to the next member after that.

Junhui gets caught eating. He looks up at the camera wide eyed with one hand over his mouth, eyes darting around like a cornered animal.

 _"Do I want to get married?"_ he asked, misunderstanding. Which is... _ridiculous_ because those two sentences sound nothing alike. But Soonyoung, who was a little bit stupid, and a little bit in love, nods, shakes the camera with it. Junhui hums, still chewing.

"Yes," he decides, firm. "As soon as possible."

Soonyoung shows the video to Junhui.

"Do you still want to get married?" he asks, when it's over. He's—nervous. There's no other word for it. Junhui makes him nervous. But he also makes him happy, and breathless and jittery all in the same breath. Junhui sighs, leans his body against Soonyoung's. He forces himself to continue. "Even with work, and everything?"

Junhui picks up Soonyoung's hand and fiddles with it. "Do you?"

"Yes. Very much."

"Then I want to too."

It doesn't feel insecure, or forced. It feels like Junhui. 100% genuine Junhui, all day every day. Who tells the truth, not because he's bad at lying, but because he wants to.

And it's real, and it's stable. And he's everything Soonyoung wants.

**Author's Note:**

> i'm on twitter @mnghaoke


End file.
